The Allahabad High Court has directed the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh to implement a police verification process for all applicants seeking a license to practice law. The mandate which is certain to have far reaching implications is destined to implement stronger measures to uphold professional integrity. The court has also instructed that in the event of an adverse police report, any provisional license be cancelled.
The directives came in the wake of an incident where an individual secured a law license despite being involved in 14 criminal cases and having four convictions. The court felt concerned about the face that the person managed to conceal his criminal history.
Allahabad High Court has ordered the UP state government and the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh to issue immediate instructions to obtain police reports from the concerned police stations for all pending and new applications in the same was as the procedure for passport issuance. The decision underscores the loopholes in the present system where an individual with criminal record could dupe the Bar Council to obtain the coveted licence. The fault in the sysytem are harmful to the repulation of the integrity of the legal profession and dangerous for the society.
The Court’s directive showcases it’s concern to protect the public from law practitioners with dubious record. The Allahabad High Court’s order will go long way in safeguarding the sanctity of the legal profession and preventing unscrupulous individuals to sneak into the system.
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